Laura Wolvaardt appointed as South Africa's interim captain

Laura Wolvaardt has been named as the new captain of the South African Women’s side. The 24-year-old, however, has been given the position only for two months and will be put under review after the tour of Pakistan and the home series against New Zealand.

Wolvaardt has been given the leadership after Sune Luus decided to step down from the role earlier this month. Meanwhile, vice-captain Chloe Tryon is unavailable for the Pakistan series.

"It's a massive honour to be offered this position as captain for the next two tours. It's something that I have always aspired to do, having played in this team for a couple of years. Having more of a leadership role is something I've wanted to take on. It'll help me as a cricketer and learning to think as a captain on the field will hopefully help my batting as well,” said Wolvaardt.

"I'm very excited to be able to contribute in another way too, and not just in batting. It still feels surreal at the moment but it will all become more real when I meet up with the team in Pakistan.

"What I can bring to the role is the experience that I have in the side. I've been playing international cricket since I was 16 years old, I know quite a lot of players in the circuit and I've been playing in the leagues as well, so I've played a lot of cricket in recent years and hopefully, I'm able to use that experience and the knowledge to my advantage when I captain the team.

"I'd like to also think of myself as quite calm and level-headed and that's probably more of the approach that I try to take on the field as a captain.

"It is very new to me but I am keen to learn and do everything that I can to do well in the position. I am lucky that I have a couple of senior players within the squad around me as well, who would be able to help me and guide me if I do need help along the way."

Wolvaardt, who made her international debut in 2016, has played all three formats for South Africa. The right-handed batter has featured in one Test, 80 ODIs and 53 T20Is, scoring over 4000 runs. 

"Laura's dedication, leadership acumen, and cricketing prowess have been evident throughout her career," said CSA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe.

"Her ability to stay composed under pressure and her deep understanding of the game make her an ideal candidate to lead the team. Laura's influence as captain will extend beyond her individual performances as she guides the team toward their goals."

South Africa are scheduled to play three T20Is and three ODIs in Pakistan next month before hosting New Zealand for three ODIs and five T20Is.